'Free Black Women's Library' Searches For A Home In Bed-Stuy

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — When Olaronke Akinmowo started a GoFundMe for her popular "Free Black Women's Library" in the fall, she was actually on the verge of stepping away from the project.

Despite the traveling library's mass following, Akinmowo was feeling the toll of managing a 3,000-book collection, which she had lugged by Uber to parks, museums and other pop-up locations for nearly six years.

She wondered if the self-funded project, run by her and only a few volunteers, could endure.

"I was just tired," Akinmowo told Patch. "I needed to figure out a way to make this project sustainable."

That's when the donations started to roll in.

Within a few months, Akinmowo had raised more than $100,000 on her fundraiser, which was aimed at gathering enough to take the library to the next level through a storefront, bus and full-time employee.

More than the money itself, the donations gave Akinmowo a sign that she was on the right track.

"It just kind of felt very affirming and exciting — like, maybe I can do this," she said. "It's like, 'Okay, this is proof that the community cares and they want to help make this real.'"

Now, Akinmowo is working on making that reality.

She is actively searching for a storefront in her native Bed-Stuy to set up a permanent home for the books, which are currently kept in her apartment and in storage.

The storefront will offer not only space for the books, all by Black women authors, but also for the neighborhood, which has become especially important since the coronavirus crisis, she said.

"One of the things that came up out of COVID is the importance of having community and being around other people in a way that feels safe and comforting," she said. "I want to create a space for the Bed-Stuy community to use — a safe space for people to read, write, research and connect with other people."

The permanent space would ideally include space for various workshops the library runs, including kids story times and teen reading groups. It should be at least 850-square-feet, within walking distance from a train and include a small backyard and finished basement, Akinmowo said.

Akinmowo is also actively in the market for a bus, which she says will keep up the traveling component of the library.

Instead of lugging boxes of books and then unpacking and repacking at pop-up locations, the bus will be set up with the collection so visitors can step inside wherever it parks.

"With the bus all things happening with the library the past six years can continue to happen but in a more efficient way," she said.

The bus will also mean The Free Black Women's Library can visit other parts to the city that were too difficult to reach when she relied on Uber trips. Folks in Harlem, the Bronx and as far as New Jersey and Philadelphia have been asking her to stop by for years, Akinmowo said.

The bus and permanent space will mean more people can take part in the library's mission. Akinmowo founded the library in 2015 as an accessible and inclusive way to bring people together.

"What is a cultural institution that offers space for people to grow and learn without them having to be the best or prove themselves?" she said. "...You can be any age, any race, any class and you can go to the library and look at books."

To find out more about the Free Black Women's Library or to suggest a space in Bed-Stuy, click here.